This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: More than 107,000 species are used and traded worldwide, more than double previous estimates, according to new research that suggests the true scale may be far greater due to major gaps in trade and wildlife collection data. Published in Science Advances and led by the University of Melbourne, the study provides the first comprehensive estimate of species used and traded across plants, animals and fungi.
Previous estimates calculated around 50,000 species were in trade worldwide. However, new analysis that brought together cross-sectorial data on wildlife trade monitoring programs found at least double that, with 107,356 species in use and traded globally. Lead researcher Alice Hughes, a University of Melbourne professor from the School of BioSciences, said despite wildlife trade being a well-established driver of biodiversity loss, information on the extent and sustainability of trade remains incomplete and highly fragmented.
"When we think of the wildlife trade we tend to think about the illegal trade of elephants, tigers and pangolins. But it's much more than that," Hughes said. "Wildlife trade includes everything from timber, seafood and medicinal plants to pets, cut flowers, ornamental fish and fungi, and most of it is legal.
"Not only is legal trade worth approximately 10 times more than illegal trade, our analysis suggests at least twice as many species are in trade as previously recognized. "For most of these species we have little to no data. There is no data on quantity and origins, let alone the population-level data to assess if trade poses a risk to species survival.
"Without better data, we cannot accurately assess risks to biodiversity or identify when trade is pushing species toward decline." Hughes said the findings expose major gaps in the global wildlife trade monitoring system and underscore the need for a step change in how trade is recorded and reported. "The United States is the only country that systematically records and publicly shares trade data across a wide range of taxa. For much of the rest of the world, equivalent data simply does not exist," Hughes said.
"For some groups, 75% of traded species appear in U.S. datasets. Yet for regions like Europe, trade may be comparable or even higher. "The problem is we really don't know because the data isn't openly available and may not use sufficient standards to assess the true dimensions of trade." The researchers say it's essential the global monitoring system is improved to close persistent knowledge gaps.
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